PT Smelting Gresik to increase output

East Java-based PT Smelting Gresik will increase its copper cathode production to 300,000 tons per year in December this year, from 270,000 tons this year.

?When we started production, the capacity was 200,000 tons per year. Now, we are increasing the capacity to 300,000 tons per year. We hope to realize it in December this year,? the firm?s Senior Manager of Technical Service Budi Priyo Handogo said.

The firm is 60.5 percent owned by Mitsubishi Material Corporation with the remaining shares owned by several firms including copper and gold miner PT Freeport Indonesia.

The smelting gets 30 percent of its ore supplies from Freeport and PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara. The other 70 percent is supplied by overseas miners. It exports 50 percent of its output to Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The other 50 percent is sold domestically to such offtakers as PT Tembaga Mulia Semana, PT Gajah Tunggal Cable and PT Karya Sumiden Indonesia. (Bernard)